Beren downs odds-on favorite to win De Francis Dash

Before he saddled Beren to a runner-up effort in last month's Chocolate Town Stakes at Penn National, trainer Butch Reid told Daily Racing Form that the 4-year-old colt is “the kindest horse, maybe, I’ve been around in the 30-40 years I’ve been doing this."

Beren is not only kind, but he is very, very tough.

He proved that with a 2 3/4-length victory over odds-on favorite Wondrwherecraigis in Saturday's $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Dash at six furlongs at Laurel Park.

The De Francis Dash was one of four Saturday stakes. The others were each worth $100,000: the Alma North, Prince George’s County, and Big Dreyfus.

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All four are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series. The MATCH Series offers $2.2 million in purse money and more than $400,000 in bonus money.

From the rail out, Special Reserve, Beren, and Wondrwherecraigis engaged in a heated pace battle through fractions of 22.10 and 44.78 seconds.

Grade 2 winner Special Reserve, returning from a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, was the first to give way over the sealed, muddy going.

Beren made the front turning for home with Wondrwherecraigis, making his first start since finishing 10th in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 26, breathing down his neck.

Beren wouldn't budge, however, and strode away strongly in the final sixteenth. Wondrwherecraigis held second, two lengths better than Pickin’ Time. Next up were War Tocsin, Threes Over Deuces, Royal Urn, Special Reserve, and Karan’s Notion.

Beren returned $15 to win as the third choice.

"He's a very quick horse," winning jockey Frankie Pennington said in a post-race interview conducted by Laurel Park. "He broke sharp and was pulling me the whole way. At the top of the stretch, when I asked him, he took off for more."

Beren was bred in Pennsylvania and is a son of Weigelia and Silmaril, a multiple Grade 3-winning millionaire. He won five stakes last year, including Belmont's Paradise Creek by 10 3/4 lengths over sloppy footing.

Beren began his 2022 campaign with a second-place finish, beaten a neck in the Page McKenney Handicap for statebreds at Parx on April 25.

Overall, Beren has won 8 of 18 starts for earnings of $609,420. He has won 4 of 5 races over off going.

Alma North

Chub Wagon did what she does best. She won.

The popular Pennsylvania-bred mare scored for the 12th time in 13 starts as a pace-pressing winner of the Alma North for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Favored Chub Wagon broke best under Silvestre Gonzalez and pushed rail-sent Cheetara through an opening quarter of 22.41 seconds.

Chub Wagon had enough of Cheetara's impertinence on the turn and grabbed the front after a half in 45.63 seconds.

Kaylasaurus made a menacing outside bid from the back of the pack and looked to have strong momentum turning into the stretch.

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Chub Wagon was too good, however, and she continued about her business to beat Kaylasaurus by three lengths in 1:16.03 seconds. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Cheetara in third. Then came Buy the Best and Fille d'Esprit, who acted up before the start. Chub Wagon returned $3.80 to win.

Chub Wagon's only loss came over sloppy going in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial last summer at Parx, and trainer Guadalupe Preciado noted in a post-race interview conducted by Laurel Park that he was "worried" once mid-afternoon rains turned the main track muddy.

A 5-year-old mare by Hey Chub, Chub Wagon is a homebred owned by Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut. With Saturday's victory, Chub Wagon pushed her earnings to $648,600.

Prince George's County

Eons earned his second consecutive MATCH stakes victory when placed first via disqualification after a thrilling edition of the Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Eons tracked the pace while three wide and made a solid bid on the second turn while flanked by English Tavern, who attempted an outside last-to-first rally under Sheldon Russell.

English Tavern looped Eons to make the lead in upper stretch, but Jorge Ruiz altered Eons to the center of the track and began another surge.

English Tavern drifted out under left-handed urging, bumped Eons inside the final furlong, then went on to finish first by a nose over the good going in 1:51.97 seconds.

Following a stewards' inquiry and objection, it was judged that English Tavern should be disqualified.

"He's a difficult horse to ride," said trainer Arnaud Delacour by telephone after the race. "I was a bit nervous with a new jockey, but I told him to stay closer to the pace and to move him off the rail. He seems more comfortable when he is outside horses."

Favored Beacon Hill, beaten a nose by Eons in last month's Bensalem Match Series at Parx, was aggressively handled by Victor Carrasco and made the running through fractions of 24.52, 50.42, and 1:15.92 while prompted by longshot Nathan Detroit.

Pixelate, last year's Prince George's County winner, was pocketed behind the leaders under Jevian Toledo, found some traffic in upper stretch, then finished well in between horses to finish third, a neck behind Eons.

Then came Nick Papagiorgio, Nathan Detroit, and Beacon Hill. Somekindamagician scratched.

Eons returned $6.60 to win as the third choice in the betting.

Bred in Kentucky by Camas Park Stud, Eons is owned by Mark Grier. The 6-year-old son of Giant's Causeway has won 7 of 22 starts for earnings of $544,735.

His biggest victory to date came in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware during the summer of 2019.

Delacour mentioned that Eons would likely be pointed to the $150,000 Buckland Stakes at Colonial on Aug. 16, the next race in the MATCH Series for the 3-year-old and up turf division. Eons won the Buckland last year by a head.

Big Dreyfus

Bellagamba, a Group 1 winner in her native Argentina, rallied down the center of the track to grab the Big Dreyfus for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on turf.

Trained by Ignacio Correas for Merriebelle Stable, Bellagamba settled outside in last place as longshot Double Fireball set fractions of 23.83 and 49.45 over the good turf course.

Alms and Tic Tic Tic Boom attacked the pacesetter following six furlongs in 1:14.27 with bigger-priced Tic Tic Tic Boom moving better turning into the straight.

Cheminaud swung Bellagamba widest, and the mare did the rest. She kicked down the field to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:51.15. Deciding Vote was second. It was a neck back to In a Hurry in third.

Completing the order of finish were Coconut Cake, favored Petricor, Alms, Tic Tic Tic Boom, Tightly Twisted, and Double Fireball. Fool Yourself scratched.

Bellagamba returned $11.40 to win as the third choice in the betting.

"This filly has some natural speed, but I chose to ride from behind today because the grass was a little bit soft for her," Cheminaud said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park.

Bred by Indio Rubio, Bellagamba made her North American debut last summer at Colonial, finishing sixth in the Old Nelson Stakes. She earned stakes placings in her three starts preceding the Big Dreyfus, including the Romacaca at Hawthorne in her seasonal debut on June 18. Bellagamba raced with blinkers on in the Big Dreyfus.

A 5-year-old mare by Grand Reward, Bellagamba has won 4 of 12 starts for earnings of $116,047.